Over the holidays Rockstar decided to treat gamers with a batch of new screenshots for the upcoming GTA 5. The company posted the new screens on their Facebook page under an album entitled “Happy holidays, everyone. Enjoy.”

Gamers have been clamoring for any and all new GTA 5 information ever since the enormous media blowout last month. Instead of showing off a couple new cars or pedestrian action shots, Rockstar went a different route and gave players a peek at something much more interesting.

[adsense250itp]The first new screen (as seen above) is the most self-explanatory of the bunch. It shows off the three playable protagonists in GTA 5. Michael, Trevor, and Franklin are gathered together at night for some unknown purpose with the lights of Los Santos in the background. It will be interesting to see how Rockstar manages to take this storytelling and gameplay mechanic to new heights.

The other four screenshots show off a different side of GTA 5 entirely. One of the most talked about additions to the Grand Theft Auto experience is the introduction of a fully explorable ocean floor. Though GTA: San Andreas introduced swimming and underwater collectibles, there wasn’t much to see when diving in the water. GTA 5 looks to change that entirely.

It looks as if players won’t be alone when exploring the waters of GTA 5. Not only does this shark look imposing, it looks like it could be the first of many types of ocean life. Instead of having a static area to swim in, GTA 5’s waters are going to have an entire life of their own. Players might have to think twice before trying to escape the police by swimming away. The question is: can a shark be taken down with a rocket launcher?

The final nautical-themed image shows off what looks like a deep-sea diving craft. Boats are nothing new to the Grand Theft Auto series but having something that can actually be piloted underwater is a great idea. Not only would the craft keep players safe from sharks, it would allow them to observe all that GTA 5’s ocean has to offer. Considering these vehicles are meant to go far underwater, one has to wonder how deep the waters of the game will actually go.

The next image shows off a few pieces of aircraft. A fighter jet is visible along with a blimp in the background; the one in the foreground almost looks more like a commercial airliner. Main character Trevor is a former pilot so the heavy use of aircraft is obvious. Will Trevor be able to fly better than the other two characters? Battles in the sky have never been a large affair in past games, will GTA 5 spice up the formula with dangerous planes and more air combat?

The final image looks to be that of Franklin driving around with his dog. Franklin is the youngest of the three protagonists and what looks to be his dog is featured in his character art and also in the recently released trailer. Though nothing is completely certain at the moment, many are wondering if the prominence of Franklin’s dog means that some form of pets will be in GTA 5. If not, maybe Franklin’s dog will be tied to some sort of gameplay mechanic that has yet to be unveiled.

These new screenshots certainly don’t substitute for actual gameplay but they do give gamers just a bit more of something new about GTA 5. Rockstar said that the game will be releasing in the Spring of 2013 but a recent listing from online retailer Amazon suggests the game could come out March 26. The date was sent out to customers who had pre-ordered the game. While nothing is official until Rockstar gives the word, the Amazon listing would mean players would have their hands on GTA 5 even sooner.

Ben Sheene

Ben is from Kentucky where he originally began playing games (an activity he still continues to this day). With a love for writing he graduated from Centre College with a BA in English. He recently moved to California to pursue whatever future endeavors were there. A passion for music, gaming, blogging, and existing keeps him up at night and crafts him into the person he is today.